Black Magic: Rulings & Remedy

Dear scholars, As-Salamu `alaykum. My brother was previously engaged to a cousin but that engagement was broken because of family meddling, and that ended the issue, he is longer interested in the girl. But he would like to get married, so we made some picks for him but all of them turned out a disappointment. Could it be that someone is doing magic against my brother. Could you please furnish me about about black magic? Is it real and effective? If so, how could one dispel that magic according to the Qur’an & hadith? Jazakum Allah khayran.

ANSWER:

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear sister in Islam, we commend your pursuit of knowledge and your keenness to seek what is lawful and avoid what is not. We earnestly implore Allah to bless your efforts in this honorable way.

As regards your question, we’d like to state first that black magic is an undeniable fact, yet this does not mean when we face any problem we think that it should necessarily be a black magic. The fact that your brother did not get married till now is not necessarily due to a black magic done against him. You should search for the real reasons behind this. In most cases, these are mere Satanic whispers which Satan make use of to spoil people’s life and harms their commitment to religion. To get rid of such Satanic whispers a Muslim should be keen to read the authentic supplications particularly ayat Al-Kursi and surat Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas.

Generally speaking, it should be demonstrated that black magic is one of the well-established facts, and it is mentioned in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. As for the Islamic legal status on practicing black magic, it is forbidden, and this makes one’s prayer unaccepted for forty days, and believing in what magician or sorcerer says renders one a disbeliever.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever blows on knots practices magic, and whoever practices magic is a mushrik (polytheist).” (Reported by At-Tabarani)

`Abdullah ibn Mas`ud reported, “Anyone who goes to a diviner, a practitioner of magic or a soothsayer, asking something and believing in what he says, denies what was revealed to Muhammad.” (Reported by Al-Bazzar and Abu Ya`la)

Magic can be dispelled through magicians themselves or sorcerers or through applying their methods. However, it is forbidden to go to a magician or a soothsayer or the like to dispel the magic as stated in the hadiths of the Prophet.

Magic can also be dispelled by the power of the Glorious Qur’an, which was sent down as a cure and mercy for believers; doing so is highly commendable. This is based on what is known in the Sunnah that angel Gabriel used the Qur’an (Al-Mu`awwidhatayn, or the Two Protective Surahs, i.e. Al-Falaq and An-Nas) in dispelling the evil charm done to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) by the Jews. Moreover, surat Al-Baqarah is known to have the power of driving away evil spirits and dispelling magic.

Regarding Black magic and how to dispel it, the eminent Muslim scholar, Sheikh Muhammad Al-Hanooti, member of the North American Fiqh Council, states:

“The Qur'an talks about black magic in surat Al-Baqarah: “And they followed what the Shaitans chanted of sorcery in the reign of Sulaiman, and Sulaiman was not an unbeliever, but the Shaitans disbelieved, they taught men sorcery and that was sent down to the two angels at Babel, Harut and Marut, yet these two taught no man until they had said, "Surely we are only a trial, therefore do not be a disbeliever." Even then men learned from these two, magic by which they might cause a separation between a man and his wife; and they cannot hurt with it any one except with Allah’s permission, and they learned what harmed them and did not profit them, and certainly they know that he who bought it should have no share of good in the hereafter and evil was the price for which they sold their souls, had they but known this.” (Al-Baqarah: 102 )þ

Another reference from the Qur’an is surat Al-Falaq: “Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn. From the evil of what He has created. And from the evil of the utterly dark night when it comes. And from the evil of those who blow on knots. And from the evil of the envious when he envies.” (Al-Falaq: 1-5)

There is another verse that is relevant to this issue from surat Al-Baqarah: “Those who swallow down usury cannot arise except as one whom Shaitan has prostrated by (his) touch does rise. That is because they say, trading is only like usury; and Allah has allowed trading and forbidden usury. To whomsoever then the admonition has come from his Lord, then he desists, he shall have what has already passed, and his affair is in the hands of Allah; and whoever returns (to it)-- these are the inmates of the fire; they shall abide in it.” (Al-Baqarah: 275)

These verses are very clear in reference to the power Allah made through these jinn in magic or possession. When you say, a`udhu billahi mina Ash-shaytani Ar-rajim (I seek refuge and protection in Allah from Satan, the accursed), then certainly Allah accepts protecting you and giving you refuge against any evildoer. Reading the Qur’an and making dhikr will be helpful to overcome any shaytan’s plan. Allah says, “Verily, the plan of a shaytan is weak.” I advise you both to seek the help from Allah through practicing full Islam and avoiding any sinful arena or action.”

Sheikh `Atiyyah Saqr, former head of Al-Azhar Fatwa Committee, adds:

“The word "magic" is mentioned in the Qur'an 60 times. The verse 102 of surat Al-Baqarah has the following implications:

1- Magic has been known as a well-established fact regardless of it changing the forms of things.

2- Magic involves things that may be beneficial or harmful, as Allah says: “learned from these two, magic by which they might cause a separation between a man and his wife…”

3- Magic cannot have any effect save by the Will of Almighty Allah, as Allah says: “…and they cannot hurt with it any one except with Allah’s permission…”

4- Adhering to magic renders one a disbeliever, as Allah says: “…but the Shaitans disbelieved, they taught men sorcery…”

The views of Muslim scholars carry culminate in the following:

1-Attributing the effect of the magic to anything other than Allah renders one a disbeliever.

2-Practicing magic or sorcery for the sake of harming people is totally forbidden. Based on this, it is a form of disbelief to torture people with a magic spell or subject them to the evil of jinn.”

In brief, the first and foremost requirement as regards dispelling black magic is to believe firmly that no one, however great his powers may be, can benefit or harm one except if Allah wills it. Then every Muslim should empower his/herself through practicing Islam, reading the Qur’an and consistency in dhikr and du`a’. In particular, one may do the following: 1) perform prayers regularly; 2) recite morning and evening supplications; 3) start everything in Allah’s Name and seek Allah’s Protection and Refuge before taking a bath; 4) recite or listen to the recitation of surat Al-Baqarah daily for some days (a week for instance); and 5) put his/her trust in Allah, invoke Him always and keep away from sins.